The Role of Walking in Last-Mile Urban Deliveries

Most of a delivery driver’s time is spent outside the vehicle, walking the last 50 feet to reach the delivery customers while the vehicle is stationary. However, little is known about the walking component of delivery routes, while most models and algorithms used for scheduling and planning urban freight vehicles focus solely on the driving component. This study fills this research gap by providing an empirical analysis of the role of walking in last-mile deliveries. The study aims to empirically quantify delivery drivers’ walking distances and shed light on the interrelation between walking and the overall efficiency and sustainability of delivery routes. Two data samples were obtained that recorded more than 1,800 real deliveries performed by a parcel carrier and a beverage carrier in Seattle, WA. Data on both vehicle routes and drivers’ walking sub-routes were obtained and analyzed. Dwell time regression analyses and simulations were performed to understand the impact of walking on last-mile routes. The results highlighted the importance of walking across different types of deliveries. Both carriers either walked longer distances to find better parking or to serve multiple delivery customers from a single stop. The parcel carrier also showed large economies of scale in performing multiple deliveries per stop. An increase in willingness to walk showed a general reduction in the number of stops per route and in total vehicle miles traveled. The paper concludes with a discussion on the importance of walking in scheduling and planning for delivery vehicles in urban areas.